Viktoria Komova (Russia)

Long before the London Games had even gotten underway, the U.S. media rushed to call the 2012 Olympic all-around as a showdown between two homegrown gymnasts: reigning world champion Jordyn Wieber and girl-of-the-moment Gabrielle Douglas. In addition to betting wrong on Wieber, who didn’t ultimately make the qualifying cut, they made a mistake in overlooking Russia’s Viktoria Komova, who finished second to Wieber at last year’s worlds by just 0.033 points. A classical gymnast who combines stunning lines with quiet aggression, the 17-year old qualified for the all-around with the highest total score. She’ll also threaten for gold on the balance beam—she posted the second-highest score there—and on the uneven bars. She qualified in third place for that final, and is the defending world champion.